Couples marrying in the Catholic Church are required to take a marriage preparation program, often referred to as Pre-Cana.  We offer Pre-Cana in two formats: small-group and private.

The FOCCUS exercise is an important part of our program. All couples who take Pre-Cana with us must complete this exercise as part of their marriage preparation with us.

Our program in Manhattan is based at the Church of Our Saviour, located at Park Avenue and 38th Street.  Couples from other parishes are welcome to take Pre-Cana with us.
 

For couples opting to participate in our small-group Pre-Cana program, we offer a series of six Tuesday night classes which run from 7:00 pm to 8:15 pm and are held at the Church of Our Saviour on Park Avenue at 38th Street.

Our next small-group program begins on Tuesday, September 28th (couples who need to complete Pre-Cana over the summer are invited to take our private-format program).

It is not necessary that couples in the small-group program make every class. We certainly understand if work or travel demands interfere. Classes have been audiotaped, and thus couples are able to catch up on any class discussions they may have to miss.

Class topics are as follows:

Why Marriage? What Purpose Does Marriage Serve?
Habits of Connection: Keeping Love Alive
Communication and Conflict Resolution
Finance: Establishing Priorities, Working as a Team
Man and Woman He Created Them: Sexuality as Gift
Couple Spirituality: Connecting at a Deeper Level

In addition to these six Tuesday evening classes, couples must complete the FOCCUS couple communication exercise.
 

Couples not able to attend Tuesday evening classes, or who need to complete their Pre-Cana program in a hurry, have the option of meeting privately with the Pre-Cana instructor at a time of mutual convenience.

Our schedule is flexible. We can meet with couples on most weekdays and weeknights, and on many Saturdays.

Before meeting with the Pre-Cana instructor, couples must first complete the FOCCUS couple communication exercise.
 

The FOCCUS exercise is an excellent tool for helping couples identify areas of strength and areas where growth is needed in their relationship. Couples complete this exercise on their own time, and then meet with a facilitator to discuss their FOCCUS report.

The FOCCUS exercise can be taken online, or it can be mailed to couples.

Please provide us with both your e-mail addresses if you would prefer to complete the FOCCUS exercise online, or your mailing address if you would prefer the paper version.
 

Thanks to a special arrangement with Smart Marriages, couples taking Pre-Cana through us have the unique opportunity to listen to a series of “Great Talks on Marriage” given by leading experts on married life from around the country.

All couples are encouraged to listen to these talks, which are available online, and can be downloaded to an iPod or similar mp3 player.
 

Participating couples report that the best part of the Pre-Cana process are the conversations it encourages themselves to have. With our busy lives, we too often don’t make the time to talk with each other about important relationship issues.

Couples who’ve taken our small-group format report there is great value in stretching the program out over many weeks: they are encouraged to have a number of separate conversations with each other they otherwise would not have had.

As one past participant related to us, thanks to the conversations that followed each of the classes, “I never felt so close to my fiancé.”

Thus, couples opting for the private-format program are particularly urged to agree on a schedule for listening together to the Great Talks on Marriage available on the internet. A set schedule will prod them to have these important talks with each other.
 

The fee for our program — small-group or private-format — is $250 per couple. This fee can be reduced in case of financial need.

The Pre-Cana program fee can be paid online with a credit card here.
 

For more information on the program, and to register, please contact:

Peter McFadden
(646) 341-0848
mcfadden@mac.com